


Bravado

by duskblue



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, I really don't like Ron, Post-Hogwarts, bad boyfriend Ron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-08
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-19 04:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5953414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duskblue/pseuds/duskblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ron takes Hermione out on a date, only Draco Malfoy seems to have taken Pansy Parkinson to the same restaurant. He amuses himself by making faces at her behind Ron's back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bravado

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago for a writing challenge on an LJ group. Enjoy!

Hermione followed Ron inside the restaurant and stood behind him while he told the host that they needed a table for two, preferably by the bar. She leaned around his shoulder and tried to get a look at his face. By the bar? Why would he want to sit by the bar? Before she could figure it out, the host was leading them to their table.

“I'm starving!” Ron said after he had sat down in his seat and opened the menu. “Let's see... what to get, what to get...”

Hermione had to move her chair to the left so that a waitress could walk past with a large tray, and then she opened up her menu, as well. Her eyes widened at the selection. Ron's choice in restaurants wasn't exactly appealing. Almost everything on the menu was deep fried, and she wasn't exactly looking forward to eating any of it.

“Fish and chips look great!” Ron said, looking up at her with a smile. “What are you getting?”

She glanced back down at the menu. “I'm not sure...”

Just then, another couple was being led to the table behind Ron, and Hermione looked up at them. Oh, for crying out loud, it was none other than Draco Malfoy... and who was the girl he was with? Was that Pansy Parkinson? Of all the rotten luck!

Her appetite immediately went away.

The waitress came to their table and gave Ron a smile. “Hi there... what it'll be?”

“Oh, I'll have a firewhiskey...” He deliberately avoided Hermione's eyes when he said this. “And an order of the fish and chips. Make sure you put a wedge of lemon on the side there.”

“Okay.” She jotted it down on her paper pad and then looked over at Hermione. “And you?”

Hermione looked back down at her menu and quickly tried to find where the salads were located. She was coming up with nothing.

Ron cleared his throat. “She'll just have the fish and chips, too.”

Hermione's eyes snapped back up at Ron to see him giving the waitress an extremely warm smile. Hermione was so shocked that she would be eating greasy fish and chips, that she couldn't say a word in protest.

“And to drink?” the waitress asked.

“A firewiskey,” he said.

After the waitress walked away, Hermione turned to Ron with a wide eyed stare. “A firewhiskey? Are you kidding me, Ron?”

“Oh, who cares.” He brushed her off with a wave. “If you don't drink it, I will.”

She leaned back in her seat and tried to take in a calming breath. This wasn't turning out to be the romantic night that she thought it be. So far, all she wanted was to leave Ron with his platters of fish and chips and get the hell out of there.

She was just about to sigh and resign herself to the situation when her she met eyes with none other than Draco Malfoy over Ron's shoulder, and she straightened up in alarm. He pointed to Ron, made a gesture that signified Ron would be drinking too much, and then shook his head in disgust. 

Hermione felt her face flush.

“What?” Ron asked. “What is it?”

She pulled her eyes away from Draco. “Nothing! It's... nothing. I just wish you would have let me order for myself. That's all.”

He fixed her with a knowing look. “I didn't want you to get a boring salad.”

“I wanted a boring salad!” she said, and was about to tell Ron just what she thought about guys who ordered for their dates, when she saw Draco making a cross eyed face at her from over Ron's shoulder. “Ugh! Never mind!”

“You really should eat more than salads, Hermione.” Ron didn't even notice that she had looked away from him. “A little fish and chips is good for the soul. And you should branch out and try new things once in a while. It's good for you!”

Behind him, Draco puffed out his cheeks and patted his stomach.

Hermione tried to ignore him and looked back at Ron. “Maybe you should try a salad every now and then. Have you ever thought about that? I try and encourage you to eat healthy...”

Ron leaned forward and smiled at her as if she should know better. “Hermione... no one really likes salads.”

At that point, she wondered where Draco's date had gone to allow him to act like such a child, and she leaned to the side a little to see Pansy's chair empty. She caught Draco's eye, and he smirked at her, so she quickly leaned back and picked up her glass of water. Men were so immature. 

“I'll be right back, I'm going to go see if the bartender knows anything about the score for today's Quidditch match,” Ron said and got up from the table before she could protest.

She was left staring at Draco Malfoy with her mouth half open.

He leaned onto his table and put his chin in the palm of his hand. “Well,” he said. “Looks like you're having a date made in heaven. I'm so glad I have prime seating to witness it.”

She closed her mouth and narrowed her eyes at him. “Thanks so much for your non-verbal commentary. I'm really enjoying it.”

“You're welcome.” He grinned. “Though I'm sure it's not half as interesting as your date.”

She leaned forward and pushed her water glass out of the way. “And just where did your date go? I'm sure she's pleasant company, as well.”

He glanced away. “If you want to call her a date... she went to the restroom.” He looked back at her. “She's the type that takes forever.”

Before Hermione could ask him anything else, Ron plopped back down in his seat with a disappointed look on his face. “Aw man, Hermione, it's a great game we're missing! It's too bad I couldn't score tickets!”

Behind him, Hermione could see Pansy take her seat across from Draco, and then she looked back at Ron and pulled her water closer to her so she could take another drink. “Yeah, it's really too bad. Maybe next time. Look, Ron, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

Just then, the waitress came by their table and set two steaming plates of fish and chips down in front of them, followed by two large glasses of firewhiskey. Ron looked ravenous at his portion while Hermione picked a greasy chip and stared at it.

“Go ahead,” he said through a mouthful of fish. “I'm listening.

She eyed him. “Okay... well, things have been really tense at work, but we're getting a lot done. The thing is, I'm going to have to be picking up a lot more hours in the upcoming weeks, and I might not be around a lot.”

Ron pumped his fist. “Alright!”

“Excuse me?” She straightened and stared at him through narrowed eyes. 

“Oh...” He gave her a guilty smile. “I'm sorry... can you say that again? The bartender just signed to me that the Cannons just took the lead!”

Hermione stood halfway up in her seat. “What are you doing?” 

“What am I doing?” Ron looked at her as though she were nuts. “What do you mean, what am I—”

Ron didn't have a chance to finish, because a glass of cold ice water had been poured on the top of his head, courtesy of Draco Malfoy. “That's for being the worst date in the history of the world, Weasel.” He winked at Hermione. “You can thank me later.”

Hermione stared at him with a dropped jaw, unable to get a word out.

By then, the manager of the establishment had approached their table with a nasty expression on his face, but Draco held up his hands in defeat. “Don't worry, I'm leaving.” He placed a few coins on the table and walked towards the door, not bothering to check if Pansy were following him.

“Draco, wait up!” she called and weaved through the tables after him.

Ron was still sitting in front of his fish and chips with water dripping down his nose, staring straight ahead in shock. “What just happened?”


End file.
